10 tips for people management

Do you remember the famous dialogue from the movie ‘Forrest Gump’ – “Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.” When I think of people management this dialogue rings true. 

As a leader, you often manage people of different age groups, attitudes, temperaments, preferences, personality types, backgrounds, ambitions and dreams. Building a winning team from such a diverse mix of people may sound like a challenge but it’s the foremost job of a leader. And as Ronald Regan said – "The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. 

He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things."  So here are a few tips from my experience that I hope will help you do your part as people leaders and help you succeed in managing your teams.

 The Big Picture: Often managers explain to the team the ‘what’s’ and the ‘how’s’ but they seldom explain the ‘whys’. Unless people understand why they are doing what they are doing, they will not see how their actions impact the organization. 

They may not see true value of their contributions and as a result may feel indifferent, demotivated or may not even put in the required effort. Alignment with the lager company goals is critical not only for their success but also that of the organizations and the leader needs to ensure this on an ongoing basis.

 Encourage value-centric behaviour: Most organizations have their values, ethos or core principles defined. They are an integral part of the culture of the organization and provide the glue that binds the people together. As a leader, it is important that you demonstrate these valuesbut also take them out of the values statement on the wall and make them a way of life at work for yourself and team mates equally.

Delegate or perish: Hire the right people, train them well in the skills you need from them and the culture of the organization, then delegate.  I would however like to substitute delegate for take ownership… empower and allow them to take ownership.
 Be there for your team: Your team will seek your help. And when they do – be there.  

I recall words of Phil Jackson, the American professional football player: “The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team”.  As the leader of the team, you are their biggest strength. So be sure to be available whenever they need your support and guidance.

 Performance management: You are the custodian of your team’s performance. It’s your job to ensure that they have the right resources to succeed in their roles. It is equally important to set objective goals which are unambiguous. So, during review discussions there is no room for personal biases or subjectivity. 

This ensures that you come across as a fair leader and that will further build the team’s confidence and trust in you. Also, do not wait for annual review meetings to provide feedback that you have—do it on a consistent basis throughout the year so that people have the time to improve and are not taken by surprise during the review process.

 Clear communication:  Clear and effective communication skills in leaders can provide clarity on goals to be achieved. During difficult conversations, remember to choose your words right so you don’t end up breaking the spirit of your team.I would also say prepare well before you communicate whether it is in writing, in a meeting, in a townhall, in a session or one on one, never communicate unprepared because what you say in whatever form has far reaching impact.

 Empathy: Usually equated with sympathy, but worlds apart from it, empathy is a trait where a leader or manager is able to put themselves in the shoes of the other individuals and share the same perspective. While sympathy comes from a place of power, empathy comes from a place of camaraderie. The confidence that you can see a particularly difficult situation from your team members’ perspectives as well will make them more likely to be open to your ideas and solutions. 

 Listening: I believe in 360 degree listening,  means you’re not only listening to what the person is saying, but how they’re saying it – and, even better, what they’re not saying and their body language. It is worthwhile to invest in training on how to listen. 
 Praise publicly, coach privately: This is the most common tenet for leaders to correct behaviours and keep the team mates morale up. Feedback is always about targeting wrong behaviours and not finding fault with the individual.

Integrity: The worth of a leader is measured by her integrity. Integrity of thought, word and deed… nothing else separates a true leader from one who is not.

Author is Nina Nair, Nina Nair, VP & Head – HRD (India & LatAm)